Job Discussion Forums

[PyRoT]

I plan to come back to Australia around June / July. It may be too hasty but I hope to know by then what I want to do. I have deferred my Masters of Economics course which I wanted so much to get into (and did) and so when I come back I'd like to either start it, or just work and save up money for my life here. However, it seems that it will be quite tough to stay here legally... without getting married too quick (I don't even have Chinese gf hehe). This is really worrying as it could make my idea impossible. But after having taught here once, and then getting a short certificate back in Aus, I am sure I'd have no trouble getting back here to a school which would give me the RP.

Also, I'd like to say that I am not really in some honeymoon period. I don't want to stay in China because I love it. To me its just good enough or good, depending on what part of it you ask me about. I am mainly drawn to the life I could have here, in the not too distant future, working 3 days a week and living alright / well. This is why I worry that the extra quantity of life may not make up for the lower quality of life.

[Zero]

It's so unfortunate that we have to make the really important decisions in life when we're young, and don't have much experience yet. So much can change for you in the next 7, 8, or 10 years.
My basic advice would be to do two things in the immediate future, in whatever order works best for you: Save some money, and prepare yourself to have consistent, decent earning power for the rest of your life. (Unfortunately it can be hard to do these things simultaneously.)
The money is because the dollars you save now are so much more valuable than the ones you may save when you're 45 or even 35. That's because of compound interest. Go online and look at some compound interest calculators; it's really amazing. A little money saved now can make a huge difference in terms of your ability to buy a house, put your kids through college and eventually retire. You may not want to hear this, but it's probably best to put in the hours now, and work the half-weeks a little bit down the road, after you've got some financial cushioning in the bank.
As to the earning power -- make sure you arm yourself with some practical education or skills that will see you through thick and thin. The problem with being a teacher in China, especially one without specialized training, is that it is not stable and, if you get sick or whatever, it's going to evaporate. Also, some years down the road if you want to go back to Aus, you're going to be so far off the career track it's going to be hard to get back on in a meaningful way. You could really screw yourself by messing around too long as a part-time, unqualified teacher in China.
It sounds to me like becoming a bonafide teacher may be a good route for you. Then you'd be set for life. You could teach in China, make good money. You could bum around with part-time jobs if you wanted. If you wanted to go back to Aus someday, you could do that and most likey have a decent career waiting for you there, too.
Good luck.

[beck's]

Zero, you just gave the OP a million dollar piece of advice. If the OP is wise he will accept it.

[PyRoT]

I agree it is good advice. With the saving, I am already a great saver so I don't need to worry too much with that. In fact, if I choose to stay, I plan to save up for a few years in Australia and hopefully have enough to make a significant deposit on a house.

As for the career advice, it is good. I agree that anything can happen but if I choose to stay here, I would get a legal job and after a while, I think experience and skill will definitely make most disasters manageable. Just today, I got offered another job, teaching 2 days a week (weekends) for 7-9k RMB a month. I was also offered to sign up for a private tutoring thing that pays 180 per hour. I will have to get back to these places regarding when exactly my current contract finishes but things are definitely looking up. I also have another interview to go to and could easily get more. It seems extremely easy to get a job. Both these jobs together would be a great way for me to save for the future - in line with your advice - as I could potentially earn close to 20k if I put in the hours.

Furthermore, I think I am a good teacher as the first company I mentioned, surprised me with a 15 minute demo class request and stopped me half way through to talk about when I could start / sign a contract. This experience really makes me want to stay as working 2 days a week for so much money, doing something I find quite alright surpasses my biggest dreams.

I never thought of this idea to become an actual teacher though. I think its a good idea and I should be able to get a certificate in a year back in Australia. This would truly set me up for life as well as make it even easier to both find jobs and stay here. If something went wrong, I could go back or move to another country hehe. I will definitely look into this so thanks for the idea

Tomek

[foreignDevil]

[foreignDevil]

[vikuk]

[PyRoT]

LOL ok you have a point. At least I can be proud of being able to play the part well though haha. I really do feel like I did a good job though. They knew I was unprepared and yet I was able to come up with lesson parts for whatever they asked.

I am unsure what constitutes a quality school but this was a reasonably sized school / office in a tall office building. And if such a well paying place is considered a low quality school then the future looks really bright for me (if I really am a good teacher).

Anyway, next week I will have a more professional interview (I think). I must actually dress up a bit which is a problem as I don't have any strictly formal clothes though I'll do my best. It's some school for adults I think and they have asked me to bring a passport, 2 photos and to prepare a 15 minute demo class. Perhaps someone could tell me why they need the 2 photos? Hopefully its for a work Visa...

PS
I feel honored that one of the best posts for a long time was written to me

[PyRoT]

I've decided to stay with my company longer as I think having teaching experience at an international company with engineers / accountants for 6 months or so will be good for if I choose to stay here one day.

However, I just had a quite obvious concern about my idea. Things may be fine now but in the end, I am thinking of staying here for what may be another 60+ years. A lot can happen in that time in China. While my career and life in Australia may be quite stable, does anyone think I could reasonably expect my life here to be the same?

Perhaps after the Olympics and more foreigners coming here, wages may drop to levels which may require me to work like a normal teacher anyway. Or, if I focus on the VIP lesson and company teaching gigs, would the expected stability of my 2-3 day-a-week-work-life dream remain reasonably high?

[Teatime of Soul]

The past is usually a good indicator of the future.

Read back on the past 60 years of the history of any country, that will likely be the situation during the next 60 years. Simply based on pobability.

If you want better tea leaf reading, look at what futurists are writing about China.

Never mistake the present for the status quo.

[Zero]

In the next 60 years anything and everything can/will change. You could easily be kicked out of the country, or it could become so unpleasant that you wouldn't want to stay. Or the jobs for your kind could dry up. Remember when I said you should get qualifications, such as real teacher certification, that would see you through thick and thin? That way you could head elsewhere and not become a homeless person.

[Nemesis]

[PyRoT]

I know that having a teaching degree will insure me against becoming homeless but if I had to move countries again and yet again, find new friends it would be difficult. It is easy to just leave and resettle when you are in your 20's but later in life, it is much harder I think. Though of course, many much older men (50s even) seem to have a go here in China with the younger girls so it shouldn't be impossible to find new friends if thats all I wanted.

As for the 60 years, I just assume that I will only live till around 80 so taht is why I say that I may end up staying here for 60 years

[william wallace]

As you have already made up your mind....I agree, stay in BJ on 5,000, and maybe pump it up to 8,000-10,000.

[gabeltron]